FOOD

Immerse yourself in all the flavors that take you back to your favorite island paradise with these Coconut Lime Cupcakes. These light, fluffy cupcakes are pretty as a picture and not too sweet. They’re a perfect bite of tropical bliss.

What’s Special About These Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Some of us can’t get enough of tropical flavors, and we chase them all year long. We know that the sharp, clean smell of limes and the warm, creamy taste of coconut belong together.

If you like Key lime pie or coconut cream pie, you will enjoy this twist on those old favorites.

Tips for Making Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Make sure you use fresh lime juice. Bottled juice won’t give you the same flavor. To squeeze the most out of your limes, follow the handy tips here.

If you’ve never heard of icing sugar, don’t worry. Icing sugar and confectioners’ sugar are essentially the same, and either one is fine.

These cupcakes are great at any gathering. You can even make them ahead of time if you store them properly or wait to frost them.

What to Serve with Coconut Lime Cupcakes

If you’re serving them at a kids’ party, this easy, bubbly pineapple sherbet punch is a great match.

For a grown-up gathering, make the most of their lime-infused, tropical nature by serving them with margaritas or straight shots of a good tequila.

Recipe Notes

Are you looking for a way to kick a bland, ho-hum dinner into a spicy fiesta of flavor? Look no further than these Cuban Mojo Potatoes.

You Need These Cuban Mojo Potatoes In Your Life

Potatoes are a wonderful side dish, but after a while they can get boring.

That’s when these Cuban Mojo Potatoes step up. They’ll rescue your dinner with that twist you’re looking for. They’re easy to make, and they perk up any meal.

You’re Going to Love These Cuban Mojo Potatoes

Use them as a side dish, take them to a potluck or serve them to guests you want to impress. These delicious, versatile potatoes can do it all.

The best part is that you cook them on your barbecue, so there’s no hot oven to worry about. Let them roast away while you get other things done.

How to Make Cuban Mojo Potatoes

These take about an hour to cook on the barbecue. Make sure you time everything correctly if you’re dinner for the same meal.

The recipe calls for Yukon Gold potatoes. If you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute red potatoes or white potatoes.

What to Serve with Cuban Mojo Potatoes

If you want to make them part of a whole meal, why not stay with the Cuban theme? Try some Cuban shredded beef that you can make in your crockpot, or go all out and make authentic Cuban sandwiches stuffed with meat and cheese.

If you crave the taste of stuffed peppers, but want an easy version with no stuffing required, check out this totally satisfying Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup. This soup smells amazing while it’s cooking, and it tastes even better.

Here’s Why You Need This Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Do you ever get the craving for something but don’t have enough ingredients or enough time to make it? When that happens, count on soup to save the day.

A slow simmer of spices, fresh ingredients and rich-tasting broth can create a great meal that captures the flavors you want.

Soup is easy to make, easy on your budget and a surefire family favorite.

Helpful Tips for Making Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

For the best taste, use fresh ingredients. Here’s a great guide to picking and storing peppers of all kinds.

Like all soups, you can change ingredients according to what you have on hand. Switch the ground beef for ground turkey or vegetarian crumbles. Use saffron rice or Mexican-style rice instead of white. The possibilities are all delicious.

What to Serve with Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

The southwestern flavors in this soup make it a natural to pair with tortilla chips. Set out cut limes, avocado slices, shredded cheese and sour cream as topping options. They’ll take these flavors to the next level.

If your family prefers bread, serve warm, crusty rolls.

Crisp salads always go well with soup. Try a southwestern salad with homemade avocado dressing like this one.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

If you crave the taste of stuffed peppers, but want an easy version with no stuffing required, check out this totally satisfying Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup. This soup smells amazing while it’s cooking, and it tastes even better.

Maybe you can’t take a trip to New Orleans, but your taste buds will feel like they’re there when they bite into this delectable, hearty Muffaletta Sandwich. This street food classic from the Big Easy is big and easy to make.

What’s Special About This Muffaletta Sandwich

Muffaletta sandwiches were created by Sicilian immigrants living in New Orleans.

This tasty meal combines the hearty goodness of freshly baked bread with the satisfying flavors of Italian cold cuts and Creole spiciness.

Helpful Tips for Making a Muffaletta Sandwich

The recipe calls for olive muffaletta salad. You can buy this premade in most grocery stores or Italian specialty shops, but you can also make your own in about 10 minutes.

Authentic muffaletta sandwiches are made with round loaves of sesame seed bread. If you can’t find them, use any large, crusty loaves that will stand up to the cheese, spread and meats. You can also bake the bread yourself.

What to Serve with a Muffaletta Sandwich

A sandwich this big and flavorful deserves the right pairing when it comes to beverages.

Keep the New Orleans theme going by pairing it with an Abita beer. I suggest the crisp Maison Blanc or the summery Strawberry Lager.

Abita is the oldest and best-known craft brewery in New Orleans. You can find Abita beers at any liquor store that carries craft beers.

If you’re serving it to kids or adults who prefer nonalcoholic beverages, match it with a refreshing, Southern-style tea or sipper.

Muffaletta Sandwich

Maybe you can’t take a trip to New Orleans, but your taste buds will feel like they’re there when they bite into this delectable, hearty Muffaletta Sandwich. This street food classic from the Big Easy is big and easy to make.

Instructions

Open bread on a large surface like a cutting board. Remove some of the inner bread to create room for the stack of meats and cheeses.

Brush the open sides on each half of bread with olive oil. Spread olive salad over the olive oil on both pieces of bread.

On the bottom half of the sandwich, begin layering the ham, provolone, mortadella or bologna, and mozzarella.

On the opposite (top) half of the sandwich, place the salami over the olive salad. Using the salami to help hold the olive salad in place, invert the top and place on the bottom.

Press the sandwich down and secure with plastic wrap. Remove plastic wrap before serving.

Sandwich can be stored overnight (covered with plastic wrap) if needed or sliced and served immediately.

Recipe Notes

Mortadella is not easy to find in common grocery stores. A cured pork embedded with pieces of fat, the closest substitute is common bologna. But don’t be skeptical. It tastes amazing in this combination. Also, it is easier to make this sandwich if you stack everything on one side EXCEPT for the final layer of meat. Place the salami on the opposite side to help hold the olive salad in place as you invert the sandwich half onto the other side. This sandwich is easier to slice with a serrated bread knife. To prepare this for a picnic or potluck, slice into portions and rewrap each part in plastic wrap.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Add the butter, both sugars, pudding mix into the mixing bowl. With the electric mixer cream the above ingredients. Add the pumpkin and vanilla to the mixture while continuing to use the electric mixer.

Add the blended dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir well to combine. Stir in the white chocolate chip into the batter.

With the measuring spoon drop the cookie dough onto the prepped cookie sheets.

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

When done remove from the oven and set aside to allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

If you do not have instant pumpkin spice pudding mix, you can substitute using vanilla pudding mix + 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice.

If you’re tired of your regular salads and side dishes, you’re gonna love this Southwestern Couscous Salad. Bursting with healthy goodness and bright flavor, this is the perfect side dish that’s hearty enough to be a main meal.

Why You’re Going to Love this Southwestern Couscous Salad

If you’ve never eaten couscous, you’re missing out! A staple of North African cuisine, couscous has a light, fluffy texture and a nutty taste.

In traditional cooking, couscous is served with a meat, fish or vegetable stew on top. Some countries make it a side dish. This Southwestern Couscous Salad makes it the star attraction.

Southwestern Couscous Salad Is a Fast, Easy Recipe

You won’t believe how quick and easy this is to make. There’s no heat, no cooking, no grease and almost no prep time.

For the best results, follow these tips.

Use instant couscous. Making couscous from scratch is possible, but it’s time-consuming. Look for “instant” or “pre-steamed” on the label.

Substitute the beans. If you don’t like black beans, you can use pintos, red beans or garbanzos.

Make a vegan version. Your vegetarian and vegan friends will enjoy this filling, delicious salad. To make it vegan, just leave the cheese and bacon off, or use vegan versions.

How to Serve Southwestern Couscous Salad

Take this tasty salad along to a potluck, or enjoy it at home with friends. Serve this Southwestern Couscous Salad with light beer or a homemade lemon shandy. It’s a meal that tastes like sunshine.

Recipe Notes

If you’re tired of expensive takeout and boring packaged meals, you’ve come to the right place. This collection of the best dinner recipes will inspire you to take a break from your usual dishes and try something new and exciting. With each meal carefully selected and kitchen-tested, we are confident they will satisfy your appetite and delight your tastebuds!

Make your grill and your belly happy with these Cherry Cola Chipotle Ribs. Go beyond barbecue sauce with a recipe that gives you tender ribs imbued with a rich, complex flavor.

What Makes These Cherry Cola Chipotle Ribs Irresistible?

I’ve loved cooking with soda ever since a Southern friend told me to “dump a can of root beer” into the ribs I was planning to make. I’ve been sold ever since.

This recipe takes that secret up a notch. The bright sweetness of cherry matches with sharp spices to create a tangy, sweet-and-sour flavor bomb in every bite.

Tips for Making Cherry Cola Chipotle Ribs

Use real soda. You won’t get the same tenderness or flavor with diet soda. The ribs need a combination of sugar and carbonation to get tender.

You can make these in a slow cooker. Put the ribs and the cola in the slow cooker and cook on low for five to six hours. During the last hour, mix the remaining sauce ingredients and pour the mixture over the ribs.

Use brown sugar. Brown sugar gives real depth to the flavor of these ribs. Does your brown sugar get hard? Learn how to keep it soft here.

You Know You Want These Olive Garden Breadsticks

Let’s face it, certain restaurants make at least one bread item that you can’t seem to get anywhere else. The meal might be great, but that bread is what you remember.

Like everyone else, I can’t get enough of Olive Garden breadsticks.

Now, there’s no need to run out to your local restaurant when you have a craving for them. With a little prep work and just 12 minutes in the oven, you can have fluffy, mouthwatering Olive Garden breadsticks at home.

Making Olive Garden Breadsticks Is Easy

You can whip these breadsticks up with standard baking ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.

Get all the flavors of fall in one bite of these pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. These rich, hearty cookies smell amazing while they’re cooking. They’re a great way to kick off your fall baking.

Get Ready for Fall with Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are quick and easy to make using ingredients you probably have on hand. Take advantage of the abundance of canned pumpkin available in stores right now.

Chocolate and Pumpkin Lead to Cookie Bliss

Have you been looking for a way to shake up your oatmeal cookies? If you’re like me, you know there’s no such thing as a bad cookie, but sometimes you want to give a traditional recipe a twist.

These pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies answer the call.

Adding chocolate chips to anything is an instant improvement, but adding the pumpkin takes these to pure cookie bliss. The creamy warmth of pumpkin sparked with traditional spices is the perfect counterpoint to the rich indulgence of chocolate.

Tips for Making Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe calls for parchment paper. You can find this handy, versatile baking buddy in most grocery sores or cooking supply stores. Once you try parchment paper, you’ll be hooked.

You don’t have to grease your pans.

Cookies slide off easily without breaking.

You won’t have a dirty pan with burnt-on grease to clean.

How to Serve Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies taste best warm from the oven. I like pairing them with a warm or cold spiced cider. The combination brings together everything that’s wonderful about this time of year.

Storing Your Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You probably won’t have any leftovers, but if you do, store them in an airtight container or a plastic storage bag.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are quick and easy to make using ingredients you probably have on hand. The creamy warmth of pumpkin sparked with traditional spices is the perfect counterpoint to the rich indulgence of chocolate.